As solid-state image pickup devices, devices using CMOS technology are known, and among these, a passive pixel sensor (PPS) type device is known (refer to Patent Document 1). The PPS type solid-state image pickup device, for which PPS type pixel units including photodiodes for generating charges of amounts according to incident light intensities are two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns, accumulates charges generated in the photodiode in response to light incidence in each pixel unit in a capacitive element of an integration circuit, and outputs a voltage value according to the accumulated charge amount.
Generally, an output terminal of each of the M pixel units of each column is connected to an input terminal of an integration circuit provided corresponding to the column via a readout wiring line provided corresponding to the column. Further, in sequence from the first row to the M-th row and row by row, a charge generated in the photodiode of the pixel unit is input to a corresponding integration circuit through a corresponding readout wiring line, and a voltage value according to the charge amount is output from the integration circuit.
The PPS type solid-state image pickup device is used for various purposes, and for example, used in combination with a scintillator panel as an X-ray flat panel for medical purposes and industrial purposes, and still more specifically, the device is also used in an X-ray CT apparatus, a microfocus X-ray inspection apparatus, and the like. The solid-state image pickup device to be used for these purposes has a large area of a photodetecting section in which M×N pixel units are two-dimensionally arrayed, and may be integrated on a semiconductor substrate having a size with sides more than 10 cm in length. Therefore, only one solid-state image pickup device may be produced from one semiconductor wafer.